Record of Decision for Town of Manchester Regional Composting Facility and Recycling Infrastructure

Addresses of Possible Project Locations: 263 & 311 Olcott Street, Manchester, CT 06040

Municipality where proposed action is to be located: Town of Manchester

Project Description: Utilizing a grant award from the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) through its MMI Grant Program, the Town of Manchester proposes to construct a food waste receiving and processing facility to manage collected food wastes, which will be Phase I of a proposed food scrap recycling program. The facility will be sized to process food scraps from the municipal collection program as well as other municipal, institutional, residential, retail, wholesale, and commercial sources; it is anticipated that this facility will serve as a regional food waste collection point for municipalities east of the Connecticut River. The Town also proposes the construction of an aerated static pile (ASP) composting facility to compost collected food wastes with leaves and mixed yard wastes. This facility will be Phase II of a proposed onsite food scrap recycling program. Presently, it is anticipated that the ASP facility could manage up to 2,000 tons per year of food waste but will also be expandable to manage future demand. Finally, the Town proposes the procurement and installation of new equipment to collect and process (i.e., bale) residential plastic film collected at the municipal transfer station as well as from other municipalities in the region.

Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) Determination: On November 18, 2025, DEEP published a Notice of Availability of an Environmental Impact Evaluation, in accordance with Section 22a-1d of CEPA, in the Environmental Monitor.

Comments were received from the Council on Environmental Quality. DEEP has prepared responses to the substantive issues raised in the comments on the EIE and on supplemental materials or amendments. DEEP's responses and conclusion are documented in the Record of Decision for the proposed action.

Agency contact:

Name: Elizabeth Moore

Agency: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Address: 79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106

Phone: 860-424-3567

E-Mail: Elizabeth.Moore@ct.gov 

Inquiries and requests to view and or copy documents, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, must be submitted to the above agency contact.

What happens next: The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has submitted the Record of Decision to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) for review. Notice of OPM's determination regarding the Record of Decision will appear in a future edition of the Environmental Monitor.